HIGH POINT, N.C. — Half a million people in North Carolina use the majority of their income to pay for housing, according to NCHousing.org. Guilford County officials said there’s an affordable housing shortage statewide and they’re trying to address the issue locally.

There are more than 52,000 low-income households in Guilford County, a place with a little more than 8,000 affordable and available units. Hartley Ridge held it’s grand opening on Friday morning and High Point city leader said it really impacted the area.

“You know being on a fixed income that meant the world to me,” said Lardella McQueen, a resident.

It took McQueen over a year to finally find a nice place within her budget.

“You know when you work hard, you want to be able to come home and feel safe and just have a nice place,” she said.

She said that places like her new two-bedroom apartment can be difficult to find, especially with a lower income.

“Sometimes it feels so surreal. Living in a brand new place. I would’ve never thought in a million years,” she said.

More than 1,000 people were placed on a waiting list for this particular complex.

“We opened up Addington Ridge a few year ago and had about 3,500 names on our wait list so the need is overwhelming in the community,” said Craig Stone, president of Wynnefield Properties.

City leaders said they’e going to continue to welcome these types of developments to meet that growing need.

“That’s for the folks that are the economic generators of a community,” Stone said. “Those folks that are the first-year teachers that work in service employment and those types of things. That way more people can be proud of the place they call home.